A&E

Chasing Amy Provides Wit And Love

Poster for the movie Chasing Amy.
COURTESY OF MIRAMAX FILMS
Chasing Love: The 1997 film, Chasing Amy, offers good comedy and a roller coaster tale of finding love.

Chasing Amy revived director Kevin Smith’s career in 1997.

Much of the movie extends to interesting chats, secrets and squabbles about love, hate, jealousy and sexual orientation, which will resurrect your feelings about love and relationships.

Chasing Amy is a movie educating the world about homophobia, perception of acceptance for love between two individuals regardless of their genders and having loved ones support them along the way. It seemed to foretell the future of the world we live in now and how difficult it was for gay/lesbian and heterosexual people in the late 90s.

Ben Affleck plays the part of Holden McNeil a comic book artist caught in the middle of his love for Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams) a lesbian comic artist and his insecure, envious, homophobic best friend Banky Edwards (Jason Lee).  

The movie could confuse an audience as just another romance novel turned into a motion picture, but if you’re patient enough you would wonder how this film slipped under the radar back in 1997. Of course, Chasing Amy could never compete against the likes of the epic Titanic or Good Will Hunting both of which premiered that same year.

Alyssa is placed in an awkward position when she falls for McNeil. However, the relationship falls apart when her promiscuous past is discovered and McNeil suddenly begins doubting his heart. Chasing Amy offers its audience articulate side conversations between McNeil, Edward and Hooper X (Dwight Ewell), a gay black man who hides his sexuality as a tough black militant in the movie.

The movie is not just about sex and love, but about how any human being can find themselves in a world of judgment between religion, friendship, co-workers, and family when it comes to their choice of sexual orientation. Chasing Amy takes you on an emotional ride of love while educating the audience through intellectual talks.

Between Edward’s angry outbursts of hatred, anti-gay jokes and jealousy toward his friend’s relationship with a lesbian woman, frankness of love, changes in sexual preferences, provoking, and arguments, Chasing Amy is an option for any Netflix night. In the end you will find an interesting conclusion written well by Smith, who manages to place all three characters McNeil, Alyssa and Edward, in intriguing spots, and leaves you wanting for more.

If you are in the mood to travel back or just want to watch a couple of good conversations from humans of New York in the late 90s, this is the film to watch.

The movie was released on April 18, 1997, filmed in New York City and grossed $52,446 during its opening weekend. The movie is one-hour and fifty-three minutes of drama and witty comedy with a star rating of 7.4 on IMDB.

It includes special appearances from future stars like Matt Damon, Ethan Suplee, Casey Affleck, and Jason Mewes.

Hector Gonzalez

Hector Gonzalez, 33, is returning to Miami Dade College where he will be pursuing a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Film at the North Campus. He will serve as a photographer and staff writer for the paper this year. Gonzalez obtained his Associate Degree in Mass Communications during the 2011-2012 school year while serving as Sports Editor for The Reporter. He earned the Best Sports Story award from the Florida College System Activities Association in 2011. He has also worked as freelance sports writer for the South Florida Sun Sentinel and the Miami Herald.

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